News: February 15th-21st 1999

On this site you will find interesting rumours, news, pictures & trailers from recent and upcoming movies. We are always looking for cool movie scoops, so if you have one, please submit it to us.

The Third Wheel: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are set to appear in the comedy-romance "The Third Wheel," marking the first film to go into production for their Miramax-based Pearl Street Prods. banner, Daily Variety reported Friday. The two actors will executive-produce the indie film and take supporting-actor roles opposite lead Jay Lacopo, who wrote the script. Jordan Brady will direct, the entertainment trade paper said. The film is about two friends, Stanley and Michael (Affleck), who plan an exciting evening for Stanley's date with Diana, the girl of his dreams. But due to a series of mishaps the couple end up spending the evening with a con artist (Lacopo). The roles of Stanley and Diana are not yet cast. While Affleck's role is substantial, Damon will play the cameo role of Diana's ex-boyfriend. Shooting is tentatively scheduled to begin this June in Los Angeles.

All About Adam: Kate Hudson ("200 Cigarettes") is set to star in Irish comedy "All About Adam" for Miramax's U.K.-based production entity HAL Films. Written and directed by Gerard Stembridge ("Guiltrip"), "Adam" tells the story of an enigmatic young man and his bizarre relationship with a Dublin family of three sisters, a brother and a mother.

Mystery, Alaska: A poster for "Mystery, Alaska" starring Russell Crowe, Hank Azaria, Mary McCormack, Lolita Davidovich and Burt Reynolds. This comedy is about the residents of a small town who get over-excited when their hockey team gets chosen to host a televised event. The film's official site can be found right here.

Movie Trailers: A trailer for "Wing Commander," starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard. Also a trailer for the Robert Carlyle/Guy Pearce flick "Ravenous" about cannibalism.

Battlestar Galactica: With thanks to Brian over at Movie Salvage, here's some info about this upcoming project:

That's right folks, the peeps over at Digital Anvil that have just finished the effects for the upcoming "Wing Commander" flick have said that they will also be doing the effects for a "Battlestar Galactica" movie. There is currently no word on who is making the film, said to begin shooting late summer in Luxembourg. The two big choices are Glen Larson and Richard Hatch. Larson created the series way back when it first aired in 1979 and his movie would involve the Galactica in the future post Starbuck and Apollo. Hatch, who starred as Apollo in the series and has been writing BG novels and is trying to single-handedly bring the series back, would create a movie which would involve at least some of the original cast and hopefully Dirk Benedict.

Supernova: Director Walter Hill and United Artists have come to a sudden parting of the ways on the studio's big-budget sci-fi film "Supernova." Hill completed principal photography, and the film stars James Spader, Angela Bassett, Lou Diamond Phillips and Robert Forster. Hill wanted to do more shooting, and the studio wanted to test what it had before approving it. Hill did not want the film tested beforehand, and they disagreed strongly enough to finally agree on a parting of the ways. The director won't be back to finish the film, though it appears likely his name will still be on a film that the studio is bullish on for a fall release.

Keeping the Faith: Jenna Elfman (TV's "Dharma & Greg") is negotiating for the female lead role in "Keeping the Faith," the film that will mark actor Edward Norton's directorial debut. She was said to be the leading choice to star with Tom Cruise in "Minority Report," a drama that Steven Spielberg will direct. That film begins shooting late this summer. However, it appears Elfman might first play the woman who makes Norton and Ben Stiller question their faith in "Keeping the Faith," which will shoot in May. Norton ("American History X") will play a priest and Stiller a rabbi who as children formed a friendly trio with a girl the same age who moved away when they were 12.. Full Story >>>

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace: Above is an amazing shot of Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul in action. Also, Episode I Producer Rick McCallum confirmed that the upcoming trailer for Episode I has come in at a final running time of two and a half minutes. While the "full" trailer continues the same style seen in the teaser, the new one focuses much more on the larger plot of The Phantom Menace rather than on the story of Anakin Skywalker. Packed with completely new footage, the trailer is currently being mixed and readied for release. Thanks to TheForce.net and www.StarWars.com.

Bicentennial Man: Sam Neill ("Jurassic Park" and "Piano") has inked to star opposite Robin Williams for Disney's "Bicentennial Man,'' which starts production in mid-March. Neill will play the patriarch of a futuristic family that hires an android (Williams) who discovers he wants to become human in the Chris Columbus-directed comedy.

EDtv: The official poster for this comedy about the video store clerk Ed (Matthew McConaughey) whose life is thrown into chaos when he agrees to let an executive of a televison studio (Ellen DeGeneres) film him for 24 hours.

For more info, check out the film's official site right here.

Detox: Sean Patrick Flanery (“Simply Irresistible") has signed up for the Sylvester Stallone starrer “Detox.” Flanery will play a patient in a detox center for law enforcement officers. Produced by Brian Grazer for Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures, film will be helmed by Jim Gillespie (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”) from a script by Ron Brinkenhoff.

Complicity: Rachel Stirling (“Still Crazy”) will next star with Jonny Lee Miller (“Trainspotting” and "Hackers") in the indie thriller “Complicity.” Shooting begins next month in Edinburgh. The pic, about a Scottish journalist investigating organized crime in Edinburgh, is directed by Gavin Miller and written by Brian Elsley. It’s based on Iain Banks’ 1993 novel.

Where the Wild Things Are: Universal Pictures, Gore Verbinski and Tom Hanks are going "Where the Wild Things Are." The studio is planning to bring Maurice Sendak's famed children's book to the big screen in a film that combines live action with computer-graphics animation, Daily Variety reports. Verbinski ("Mousehunt") is attached to direct, with Hanks and Gary Goetzman's Playtone Prods. joining Sendak and John B. Carls of Wild Things Prods. as producers, the entertainment trade paper said. Eric Singer, who wrote "The Sky is Falling," reportedly is adapting the book as a screenplay. The book, which has long been a favorite for children all over the world, is about a boy named Max who discovers, tames and becomes king of a far-away land of giant friendly monsters called wild things.

Matrix: An image for this upcoming sci-fi/action film which has a great buzz online, and looks set be very good. The pic seems to be of Laurence Fishburne in action. Thanks to 'Brandon R.'

Shaft: Samuel L. Jackson is in final negotiations to play the title character in a remake of the 1971 action film "Shaft," Daily Variety reports. Paramount Pictures will update the original film, which was adapted from a novel by Ernest Tidyman and starred Richard Roundtree as a handsome, tough-talking private detective enlisted by a Harlem mob boss to rescue his kidnapped daughter, according to the entertainment trade paper. Director John Singleton plans to shoot this summer from a script just rewritten by Richard Price. Full Story >>>

The Road To El Dorado: Jawad recently learned that "El Dorado," an animated film from DreamWorks has been moved to March 2000 from November 5th, 1999. The story is about two swindlers who get their hands on a map to the fabled city of gold, El Dorado while pulling off some sort of scam. Their plan goes bad and the rogues end up lost at sea after a number of misfortunes. Oddly enough, they end up on the shores of El Dorado and are worshiped by the natives for their foreign appearance. Thanks to Jawad for this information!

Rush Hour 2 and ID4 2: Tom over at The Upcoming Movie List send along two interesting scoops you can read below:

[RUSH HOUR 2] Details of the film's plot seemed to have been leaked out. According to one of my scoopers, The plot is as follows: Detective James Carter and the LAPD are chasing a terrorist who is trying to get out of Los Angeles and get into Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Detective Lee and the HKPD are chasing a terrorist who is trying to get out of Hong Kong and get into L..A.. Which brings James and Lee back together. They discover that the two terrorists they are chasing are actually partners in an illegal bomb smuggling ring in China. The terrorists have placed a bomb in L.A. and a bomb in Hong Kong, each ready to detonate and blow up really good. The terrorists are asking for a very big ransom demand from the HKPD and LAPD. If it isn't payed by rush hour, the bombs will simantaneously explode in the middle of rush hour traffic. While the HKPD tries to find the bomb in Hong Kong, and the LAPD frantically looks for the bomb in LA., Carter and Lee must track down the terrorists in China and get them to shut the bombs down and bring them to justice before it is too late. The working titles are "Rush Hour---The Sequel", "Another Rush Hour" and "Rush Hour 2". Filming should begin by Summer 1999 for a Christmas 1999 release date.

[INDEPENDENCE DAY 2] With all the hype surrounding Devlin and Emmerich's talks with 20th Century Fox about an ID4 Sequel, I myself chatted with a member of the Centropolis team and he is quoted as followed: "Nothing at all. It's just been some chat, that got a little blown up when it went in the trades. Maybe someday. For now the guys are concentrating on other stuff."

Rocky and Bullwinkle: Randy Quaid has joined Jason Alexander, Rene Russo, Robert De Niro and Monica Potter in Tribeca/Universal Pictures' "Rocky and Bullwinkle." He will play the role of hard-boiled FBI director Cappy van Trappment. Janeane Garofalo has also joined the cast in the cameo role of a movie studio mogul. The film, which got under way last week, is a live-action adaptation of the classic animated television series. Des McAnuff is directing the Kenny Lonergan script for producers De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Tiffany Ward.

Editors Note: As you might have noticed, a new forum has been introduced. This was added after a lot of requests, and it's a much easier forum where you don't have to register, and can remain completely anonymous. Also, last weeks poll results are in, and can be viewed right here. A new poll is now up.